I kind of knew that LKY will have trouble playing Kunlavut. At the moment, Kunlavut is a very competent all rounded player. Not surprise LKY has lost. I am not a pro, but got to really agree that LKY needs to step up more, particularly at net play, consistency and cutting down unforced errors. Just my two cents. 加油!
He hasn't been playing like his old self prior to winning the World Championship. After the Thomas Cup last year, he had a long stretch of time when he was playing at a standard where winning something is only a matter of time. Besides the pressure, not training with Axelsen probably affected him like it did Sen, both their performances dropped somewhat, just that Loh's facing a steeper decline.
The way Kunlavut played in the final, he would have beaten any player in the world that day. Today SBA reported structural changes in their set up with greater focus on the psychological aspect, building the mental strength of our players. I have to say Singapore Badminton is going the right direction. Kudos to all the players and coaches.
'Thank you all for supporting me': Loh Kean Yew after getting SEA Games Silver medal 'Thank you all for supporting me': Loh Kean Yew after getting SEA Games Silver medal - Mothership.SG - News from Singapore, Asia and around the world Ashley Tan | May 23, 2022, 06:10 PM Singaporean shuttler Loh Kean Yew clinched second place in this SEA Games. He lost 13-21, 13-21 to Thailand's s Kunlavut Vitidsarn. The outcome marked Loh's second consecutive SEA Games silver medal. Fatigue played a part Loh, who is currently ranked World No. 10, revealed that fatigue had contributed to what The Straits Times described as an "error-ridden game by Loh". He had tried to overcome his tiredness and fatigue and still "gave my all and fought all the way till the end", ST reported Loh saying. The 24-year-old shared that he was "a bit disappointed" and believed he could have played better but felt quite tired. "It’s more of fatigue... the opponent is also tired but it’s just how we manage it and he managed it better than I did," Loh added. In the semi-finals, Loh had faced off against Vietnam's Nguyen Tien Minh in a three-set match. For now, the shuttler will take a little break before returning to training. The next tournament will be the 2022 Indonesia Masters on June 7. Thanks supporters According to the Olympics official website, Loh admitted that he has "never had an easy game" with Vitidsarn, and hopes that the next time they meet, "it'll be me on the winning side". In a media interview after the match, Loh said that the title of the SEA Games Gold medallist "will be on my list" and that "hopefully I'll be able to do it next time or so". "Thank you all for supporting me," Loh said as he waved to the camera. "I still need to discuss future plans with my coach, but I'll be happy to represent Singapore again," Loh continued. Loh shared on his personal Instagram that he wished the medal he won was of a different colour but praised Vitidsarn for playing a "solid match" and said he was deserving of the win. Once again, he expressed his heartfelt thanks for his supporters. "I can’t thank those who supported us on our journey enough. To our supporters who tuned in to watch, read our stories, sent well wishes, cheered for us in Singapore or wherever else you may be - Thank You Sending thanks to my fellow teammates for cheering me non-stop everytime I’m on the court too!" SEA Games 2023 will take place in Cambodia.
That's great new! Mental strength is a very important aspect of the games. It can be the defining factor between winning n losing Sent from my 2201123G using Tapatalk
Loh Kean Yew agrees with Joseph Schooling ‘that National Service and sports can co-exist’ Loh Kean Yew agrees with Joseph Schooling ‘that National Service and sports can co-exist’ (msn.com) Anna Maria Romero - Yesterday 3:40 pm Badminton champion Loh Kean Yew weighed in on Singapore’s top athletes and the National Service requirement, in response to swimmer Joseph Schooling’s call for a national dialogue on the issue. © The Independent SingaporeLoh Kean Yew agrees with Joseph Schooling ‘that National Service and sports can co-exist’ In a May 21 Instagram post where he posted a photo of himself standing side by side with the swimmer, Loh, 24, wrote, “I agree with what Joseph said and I think that National Service and sports can co-exist. Ultimately, we are all defending the same flag and want to do Singapore proud. ” © The Independent SingaporeLoh Kean Yew agrees with Joseph Schooling ‘that National Service and sports can co-exist’ At the SEA Games in Hanoi on May 18, Schooling, 26, underlined the need to manage the expectations of Singapore’s athletes who are undergoing NS. © The Independent Singapore Loh Kean Yew agrees with Joseph Schooling ‘that National Service and sports can co-exist’ Loh’s IG post has since gone viral, with over 36,000 likes. On his part, Loh, who took the silver in the men’s singles in Hanoi, did his NS stint from 2016 to 2018 and is ranked corporal first class (CFC). Even during his service, the athlete kept up his training and not only competed for the Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association (SAFSA) but for Singapore itself at the 2017 SEA Games and the Commonwealth Games the following year. In 2018, SAFSA gave Loh the best sportsman award. In response to Schooling’s call for a national dialogue, Dr Su Chun Wei, who heads Singapore Sports Institute, was quoted in a May 22 CNA report as saying, “The Singapore high performance system takes into account our Team Singapore athletes’ life stage – of course NS is one of them. Our support philosophy is that we take NS into account and very much want to be able to support that integrated in (a) training plan, support plan. So we want to be able to give them the best opportunity to excel under all circumstances.” Furthermore, a spokesman for the Ministry for Culture, Community, and Youth (MCCY) told The Straits Times that the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) makes provisions “to support the training and preparation of our national athletes, taking into account the specific circumstances of the athlete, his sport, and subject to the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) operational needs”. /TISG The post Loh Kean Yew agrees with Joseph Schooling ‘that National Service and sports can co-exist’ appeared first on The Independent Singapore News - Latest Breaking News
Yahoo News Loh Kean Yew makes it to the 'Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia' list Chia Han Keong - 5h ago 26 May 2022 SINGAPORE — Following his remarkable triumph at the Badminton World Championships last December, Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew has made it to the prestigious "Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia" list. The list, which is into its seventh edition, honours young entrepreneurs, leaders and trailblazers across the Asia-Pacific region, all under the age of 30. There are 300 honourees in each edition, split into 10 categories. Loh, 24, is the only Singaporean honouree in the "Entertainment and Sports" category, which features athletes such as China's Winter Olympics gold medallist Eileen Gu, South Korea's world No.1 women's golfer Ko Jin Young, and Japan's National Basketball Association player Yuta Watanabe. Entertainment artistes who made the list include Squid Game star Jung Ho-yeon, K-pop girl band Aespa and Malaysian rapper SYA. In Loh's profile write-up for the list, Forbes wrote, "Loh Kean Yew became the first Singaporean to be crowned badminton world champion after winning the singles title at the 2021 BWF World Championship in December. His fairytale run included beating world No. 1 and Olympic champion, Viktor Axelsen, whose training camp he had attended a few months prior. "Born in Malaysia, Loh took Singapore citizenship and was the country's flag bearer at the Tokyo Olympics' opening ceremony. He is currently No. 10 in BWF world rankings." Loh has had an encouraging start to this year, following his historic world championships triumph in Huelva, Spain. In January, he was runner-up at the India Open in Delhi, before helping the Singapore national men's team qualify for the prestigious Thomas Cup finals for only the third time in history. At last week's SEA Games in Hanoi, Loh claimed his second consecutive men's singles silver medal, falling to Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsam in the final. The 2022 list features honourees from 22 countries and territories across the Asia-Pacific region. They were selected from over 4,000 nominations, a record number for the Asia list, researched by Forbes journalists from across the region and vetted by industry veterans. Besides Entertainment and Sports, the other categories are: The Arts (Art and Style, Food and Drink); Finance and Venture Capital; Media, Marketing and Advertising; Retail and E-commerce; Enterprise Technology; Industry, Manufacturing and Energy; Healthcare and Science; Social Impact; and Consumer Technology. The criteria for honourees making the list include their demonstration of leadership, how they embody the entrepreneurial spirit, and their potential of success in their industry.
Singapore sports star spotlight: Super shuttler Loh Kean Yew JUNE 04, 2022 PUBLISHED AT 1:00 PM By NG KAI Singapore athlete Loh Kean Yew has been meeting success after success. We'll just put it here in black and white: This guy is really sibei ups. At just 24 years old, national shuttler Loh Kean Yew is the reigning men's singles world champion for badminton. And he's not just smashing records in badminton (he's the first Singaporean to become a world champ), but he has also received accolades for other achievements off the court - even while doing national service (NS)! Character bio: Singapore Sports School (SSS) offered him a scholarship when he was 13, having recognised his potential after seeing his success in Penang. Since he joined SSS in 2010, he's only met with success after success. Kean Yew obtained Singaporean citizenship in 2015, and went on to enlist for national service in 2016. Achievement unlocked: As the current men's singles world champion, Kean Yew has definitely left his mark in the history books by also being the first Singaporean to achieve that title. He also won silver at the 2019 and 2021 Southeast Asian Games, and represented Singapore at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Off the court, Kean Yew has been included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list – a testament to his status as a trailblazer in his sport. PHOTO: Facebook/Ministry of Defence, Singapore (MINDEF) Serving the nation: Although Kean Yew might have been born in Penang, he definitely is a Singaporean Son, having served NS as a transport operator in the Transport Hub East unit. "I feel honoured and satisfied because all the hard work and time spent on training has paid off. I am also grateful as my efforts have been recognised by SAFSA," he shared when he was presented the Best Sportsman award in 2018. "While it was tough to juggle between badminton training and serving national service, I was determined to keep going… and train to the best of my ability. I'm also glad that my unit gave me their full support as well." Most recently, he articulated his support for NS in an Instagram post featuring him and swimmer Joseph Schooling, writing: "I agree with what Joseph said and I think that National Service and sports can co-exist. Ultimately, we are all defending the same flag and want to do Singapore proud." Level up: ICYMI Kean Yew was chosen to be the flag bearer for Singapore along with national paddler Yu Mengyu at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. "I am proud to fly Singapore flag high in the Tokyo Olympics", he shared in an Instagram post. As he smashes his way through more victories, we're keenly following this super shuttler on his journey to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Watch this space! READ ALSO: Has Singapore’s badminton champion Loh Kean Yew cracked the code to Indonesian hearts? This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.
Battling Loh Kean Yew falls to Taiwan veteran in Indonesia Masters semi-finals Chia Han Keong ·Editor Sat, 11 June 2022, 7:08 pm·2-min read Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew in action in the men's singles event at the Hanoi SEA Games. (FILE PHOTO: Sport Singapore/ Lim Weixiang) SINGAPORE — A battling Loh Kean Yew pulled out all the stops against his higher-ranked opponent, but Taiwanese Chou Tien-chen's veteran experience counted at the end of an enthralling Indonesia Masters clash on Saturday (11 June). Singapore's reigning badminton world champion pushed the former world No.2 all the way, but Chou held his composure to clinch the men's singles semi-final clash 21-16, 8-21, 21-19 in 70 minutes. Loh, ranked No.10 in the world, was seeking his first title of the year, and had not dropped a set en route to the semi-finals. However, 32-year-old Chou - ranked world No.4 - was always going to be a tough test for the Singaporean shuttler, having easily beaten him at last year's Indonesia Masters. And he did just that, withstanding a strong start by Loh in the first set to rein the 24-year-old in with his variety of offensive weapons, forcing Loh into errors to clinch the set in 21 minutes. However, Loh found his feet in the second set, as Chou seemed out of sorts from the onset, and opened a huge 11-2 lead. With Chou preferring to conserve his prowess for the rubber set, Loh comfortably closed out the set in 17 minutes. That set up a nail-biting final set, as both players thrilled the crowd with spectacular smashes and desperate saves. In the end, though, Chou's veteran nous shone through as Loh lost a couple of crucial points to fall to defeat. Loh had started the tournament - which carries a total prize purse of US$360,000 (S$495,000) - with two straightforward victories: a 21-14, 21-13 win over France's world No.25 Toma Junior Popov on Wednesday, and then a 21-11, 21-14 win over Indonesia's world No.46 Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo a day later. In Friday's quarter-finals, he withstood a spirited fightback from China's world No.26 Lu Guangzu, before eventually defeating his rival 21-15, 21-19. This is Loh's first tournament since earning two medals, a silver and a bronze, at the Hanoi SEA Games last month, when he lost to Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsam in the men's singles final after leading the Singapore men's team to third place in the team competition. He will be embarking on a busy schedule in the next couple of months, as he takes part in several top regional tournaments such as next week's Indonesia Open, the Malaysia Open at the end of the month and next month's Singapore Badminton Open. Loh is also selected by the Singapore National Olympic Council to take part in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham at the end of July.
Loh Kean Yew fends off Korean opponent in Indonesia Open opener Chia Han Keong ·Editor Tue, June 14, 2022, 1:45 p.m.·2 min read Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew of Singapore competes in the Indonesia Open round of 32 against South Korea's Heo Kwang-hee. (PHOTO: Shi Tang/Getty Images) SINGAPORE — Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew opened his Indonesia Open campaign with a hard-fought victory over world No.31 South Korea Heo Kwang-hee in the round of 32 on Tuesday (14 June). The reigning world champion, who was runner-up in last year's Open, saved five game-points as he surged from 15-20 down in the second game to clinch the tie 21-12, 23-21 in 42 minutes at the Istora Senayan Stadium in Jakarta. He improves his head-to-head record against 26-year-old Heo to 3-0, after beating him at last month's Thomas Cup finals and at 2019's Hyderabad Open. Loh will next face world No.26 Frenchman Toma Junior Popov in the last-16 on Thursday. The 24-year-old world No.9 had beaten Popov in straight games in last week's Indonesia Masters, en route to the semi-finals where he fell to Taiwan's world No.4 Chou Tien-chen. Should he advance further, he could face old rival Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia in the quarter-finals and Denmark's world No.1 Viktor Axelsen - whom he lost to in last year's final - in the semi-finals. The Indonesia Open is one of three annual tournaments to be granted Super 1000 level on the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour circuit, and boasts a total prize purse of US$1.2 million (S$1.7 million). Loh will be embarking on a busy schedule in the next couple of months, as he takes part in several top regional tournaments such as the Malaysia Open at the end of the month and next month's Singapore Badminton Open. He is also selected by the Singapore National Olympic Council to take part in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham at the end of July.
Lee Zii Jia outlasts Loh Kean Yew in thrilling Indonesia Open quarter-final clash Chia Han Keong ·Editor Fri, June 17, 2022, 8:24 PM·2 min read Malaysian shuttler Lee Zii Jia (left) and his Singaporean rival Loh Kean Yew. (PHOTOS: Getty Image) SINGAPORE — Long-time rivals Loh Kean Yew and Lee Zii Jia put on a thrilling quarter-final tie at the Indonesia Open on Friday (17 June), and it was reigning Asian champion Lee who emerged triumphant as he edged out world champion Loh in three enthralling games. The world No.5 Malaysian took care of the decisive moments of the match as he outlasted Loh 21-18, 16-21, 22-20 at the Istoran Senayan Stadium in Jakarta to earn a semi-final tie against either Denmark's world No.1 Viktor Axelsen or Indonesia's world No.6 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting. Over 65 minutes, Lee and Loh were locked in an intense duel of swashbuckling smashes, with the scoreline remained close throughout as the noisy crowd roared both of them on. Loh held match point at 20-19 in the final game, but Lee held his nerve better in the subsequent points to outlast his Singaporean rival. Loh, who was runner-up in last year's Indonesia Open, open his campaign this year by defeating South Korea's Heo Kwang-hee in the round of 32 on Tuesday, before comfortably beating France's Tomo Junior Popov in the last-16 on Thursday. Lee also had little trouble advancing through the first two rounds, beating Thailand's Sitthikom Thammasin on Tuesday before recording an easy win over India's Sameer Verma in the round of 16. The pair of 24-year-olds have been facing against each other since they were youth shuttlers in Malaysia. Loh, who was born in Penang before becoming a Singapore citizen in 2015, had regularly faced Lee in Malaysia's national junior circuit. He most notably defeated Lee in the Under-12 final of the National Junior Grand Prix Finals in 2009. However, Lee has a better head-to-head professional record against Loh, with three wins in five previous encounters. In their most recent match, Lee easily defeated Loh 21-6, 21-14 in February's Badminton Asia Team Championships. Loh's last win against Lee came at the Hylo Open in Germany last November, when Lee retired midway through the third game. The Indonesia Open is one of three annual tournaments to be granted Super 1000 level on the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour circuit, and boasts a total prize purse of US$1.2 million (S$1.7 million).
Home crowd helps Loh Kean Yew get one step closer to clinching men’s singles title at Singapore Open Anna Maria Romero - 2h ago Badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew took another step toward making history, advancing to the quarter-finals at the Singapore Open on Thursday (July 14). In 40 minutes, he breezed past Indonesia’s Tommy Sugarto 21-13,21-17. © The Independent SingaporeLoh Kean Yew spending Valentine’s Day ‘with himself’ before heading for rematch with Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia All eyes are on Loh, 25, who is gunning to become the first Singaporean in sixty years to win the Men’s Singles title. The last time this happened was in 1962 when Wee Choon Seng bagged the title. If Loh, currently ranked ninth in the world, wins, it will also be his first title for the year. The quarter-finals is the furthest he has gone in this tournament since 2018. The match with Sugarto was a hard-won fight for the athlete, however. “I was struggling to control the drift in the second game. But I’m glad I managed to overcome that and win. I had to calm myself down repeatedly as I was always trailing and trying to play catch-up,” he was quoted as saying in Yahoo! News. But he was buoyed by playing an at-home game, Loh added. “The crowd definitely motivated me to play better. I’m happy to be able to play my part in bringing everyone together. That’s what badminton is all about. To bring everyone together.” The Straits Times quotes Loh as saying, “The home crowd was great again today. They were a big factor behind my win. They gave me confidence, motivated me to play better, and might also have had an effect on my opponent as the pressure built when I was catching up.” Yahoo! News added that Loh’s chances of bagging the championship are even greater, as seeded players suffered surprise losses in their rounds. Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie, ranked eighth in the world, lost to Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, who is ranked 43rd. Christie defeated Loh in their last five matches. Even more shocking was the defeat of Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen, ranked fourth in the world, to India’s H.S. Prannoy, ranked 19th. Chou beat Loh at the Indonesia Masters semi-finals in June. Loh’s next match is against China’s Li Shi Feng, ranked 37th in the world. Christie and Chou’s defeats mean that there is only one player with a higher rank than Loh left, Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, ranked sixth in the world. /TISG
Loh Kean Yew falters against inspired Anthony Ginting as Singapore Open wait goes on Loh Kean Yew falters against inspired Anthony Ginting as Singapore Open wait goes on (msn.com) Chia Han Keong - 2h ago SINGAPORE — The wait goes on for the next local men's singles winner at the Singapore Badminton Open after Wee Choon Seng way back in 1962. Loh Kean Yew falters against inspired Anthony Ginting as Singapore Open wait goes on Reigning world champion Loh Kean Yew met his match in the semi-finals on Saturday (16 July), as the 25-year-old succumbed 17-21, 14-21 to an inspired Anthony Sinisuka Ginting at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. While it was still Loh's best-ever showing at the Open, it felt like a wasted opportunity for the world No.9, with world No.6 Ginting being the only higher-ranked shuttler left in final four. However, Loh insisted that he was satisfied with how he had fared throughout the tournament, and when faced with a wily and in-form opponent in Ginting, he could only say that he tried to be brave, but could not pull off shots that were out of his ordinary repertoire. "I've tried my best to adapt to the situation, change my tactics, but that didn't work out. (Ginting) managed to control the game and I could not, so it was disappointing," he said after his loss. Indeed, Ginting was able to repeatedly force Loh into last-ditch saves that became easy smashes for him, so much so that the crowd of home supporters groaned whenever Loh scrambled into another wild return. While Loh was unable to create history at the Open, his semi-final showing capped an intense two-month run of regional competitions where he reached two semi-finals (Singapore Open and Indonesia Masters), one quarter-final (Indonesia Open) but also a first-round exit (Malaysia Open). "I played some good matches in this period, but I need to work on my consistency," he said. "At the very least, I felt that I performed in every game I played, but sometimes the results didn't go my way." Ginting will next face Japan's Kodai Naraoka, who belied his world No.43 ranking to be on a stirring giant-killing run at the Open. Having already eliminated Indonesia's world No.8 Jonatan Christie in the round-of-16 and India's world No.19 H.S. Prannoy in the quarter-finals, the 21-year-old continued to upset the rankings on Saturday, defeating world No.26 Zhao Junpeng of China 21-18, 25-23 to reach his second BWF World Tour final of his career. Results of other semi-finals The women's singles final will be between India's world No.7 Pusarla V. Sindhu and China's world No.11 Wang Zhiyi. Sindhu, the 2019 world champion, easily defeated her semi-final opponent, Japan's Saena Kawakami, 21-15, 21-7 in 32 minutes. Wang, who is the current Asian champion, had a similarly comfortable tie against Japan's Aya Ohori, taking 38 minutes to emerge victorious in 21-14, 21-14. There was controversy in the all-Indonesia men's doubles semi-final between veterans Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan and up-and-coming Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Marthin. During a crucial stage of the second game, the umpire entered a wrong scoreline following a challenge and, following a long delay, gave the scoreline in Carnando/Marthin's advantage. That took the momentum away from Ahsan and Hendra, who succumbed in three games, 21-9, 18-21, 20-22. The second all-Indonesia men's doubles semi-final was far more straightforward, as Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto defeated Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfanahni 21-11, 21-7. In the women's doubles, Malaysian Open winners Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti of Indonesia came from behind to defeat Thailand's Supissara Paewsampran and Puttita Supajirakul 19-21, 21-13, 21-19. They will face the fifth-seeded Chinese pair Zhang Shuxian and Huang Dongping, who ousted compatriots Du Yue and Li Wenmei 21-18, 21-18. The only top seeds left in the Open, Thailand's mixed doubles duo of Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai, made it to the final after winning a titanic 65-minute duel with Malaysia's Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jaemie Lai, 21-17, 16-21, 22-20. They will face China's Wang Yi Lyu and Huang Dongping, who took just 27 minutes to defeat compatriots Guo Xinwa and Zhang Shuxian 21-8, 21-9. Do you have a story tip? Email:sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. Stay in the know on-the-go: JoinYahoo Singapore's Telegram channel You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our southeast Asia, Food, and gaming channels on YouTube. Sponsored Content
World champion Loh Kean Yew: Training with Viktor Axelsen taught me to be more focused Loh Kean Yew on training with Viktor Axelsen and his aims since becoming world champ (olympics.com) Find out how being part of Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen's training group has changed badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew. By ZK Goh Updated on 10 January 2022 20:09 GMT+8 Singapore has a new sporting hero. Five years after Joseph Schooling became the island country's first Olympic champion, Loh Kean Yew was crowned the city-state's first badminton world champion after a stunning run to the men's title in Huelva, Spain, in December. The 24-year-old Loh, with his boyish grin and charm, has caught the imagination in Singapore. But 2021 could have turned out very differently for him, if not for a setback early in the year followed by a training stint with Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. Loh began training with Axelsen after the latter's gold medal in Tokyo, and eventually defeated the world number one in the first round of the World Championships. Speaking to Olympics.com's Sanjeev Palar in an interview conducted at the World Championships prior to his title win, Loh said of being part of Axelsen's group: "I try my best to learn whatever I can [from him] be it his focus, his consistency, his discipline, everything." Slow start to the year Loh began 2021 ranked 39th in the world, and at the BWF's 2020 season-ending tournaments held in Thailand in January, appeared rusty following the Covid pandemic disruption. "I performed quite badly," Loh recalled. "Right after the first match I lost, I straight away realised that I'm totally not fit enough, I really need to work on my fitness and everything else. Only after that then I worked a lot on fitness leading up to the Olympics. "Because of COVID, I only trained locally, so I didn't know where my standard was at compared to the rest of the players. In the world there were so many better players, so I was very motivated, I went back to Singapore and I started training very hard." He worked his way into a qualifying spot for Tokyo 2020, where he served as Singapore's flag-bearer alongside Yu Mengyu. As an unseeded player, Loh was eliminated in the group stage after narrowly losing a three-game match against Indonesia's Jonatan Christie. But that only made the Singaporean more determined, with the added trump card of having the training stint with Axelsen coming up. Getting the opportunity to work with Axelsen Loh had previously trained with Axelsen for a short period in Denmark, and their current training partnership had been in the works for a while – until Covid intervened. "Viktor invited me in early 2020, end of 2019, he texted me and asked me if I'm interested in joining his training camp that will happen after the Olympics," Loh remembered. "At the time there wasn't Covid yet, so we were [saying] after the Olympics we will talk about more details, which [would have been] August 2020." The postponement of the Olympic Games also led Loh to wonder if the opportunity to train with Axelsen, who was last ranked outside the world top 10 in January 2015, had slipped by. "During that 2020, 2021, I was like, 'Is it going to happen?' Like, I didn't know if he was still going to do it. So fast forward to 2021, after he wins his Olympics, he texted me again, and then he told me more details [about the plan]." So it was put in place – after receiving approval from the Singapore Badminton Association, Loh joined Axelsen's team in Dubai. Learning from the best "I had a rough idea of how he trains," Loh said, referring to his prior experiences working with his Danish counterpart. "I prepared myself – when he trains, he is very focussed and he doesn't like to joke around that much. And I'm the joking kind, a lot, during training," the Singaporean shuttler said. "So, I prepared myself that I should be very, very focussed and try my best to keep up with him. "As I'm training with him, I actually try my best to learn whatever I can, be it his focus, his consistency, his discipline, everything. How he does his things, how he treats every training [session], every shot, every thing – like how he sees it, his focus, the way he handles the changes [in] situations." But, Loh said, he had not outright asked the world's top-ranked player for advice directly. "I try my best to observe and learn from the side because I think this is something that cannot be taught. I mean, of course you can ask him and he can give you advice, but this ultimately it's still how you see it, how you perceive it." That appeared to have paid off when he first won a maiden BWF Super 500 title, in Saarbrucken, before reaching his first Super 1000 final in November, beating then then-world number one Momota Kento along the way before losing to Axelsen in the title match. Overnight star Loh's rise to fame in Singapore has been sudden. In a country more known for its love of football, especially the English Premier League, Loh's breakthrough to the pinnacle of world badminton caught the imagination. Much like Schooling before him from Rio 2016, Loh's return to the city was marked at the airport by a water salute. Indeed, when local business leaders found out the shuttler did not earn any prize money for his win, they put together a crowdfunded prize pool which has collected over $153,000 Singapore dollars (roughly U.S. $112,500 or 100,000 euros). For Malaysian-born Loh, his climb to the top is validation of a long journey that began when he was four or five, playing outside his family's front gate in Penang with his brothers and neighbours. Some media reports have said Loh was bullied as a child, something he was quick to correct in this interview – "I think in a lot of interviews I said I was bullied, but really it was just that [my seniors at school] didn't want to play with me, because I mean, I [was] a kid, I sucked." Moving to Singapore aged 12 to enrol in the Singapore Sports School, the youngster did not enjoy his time at first. "It was the change of environment," he explained. "I came to Singapore and I wasn't really happy with my mother at that time because she forced me to come here, like go to Singapore because I mean, it's a new place without any friend. It was a new place to me so it wasn't easy to like what I was given." There were no thoughts of citizenship at the time – "To me, I thought I [could] just play for Malaysia and Singapore at the same time" – but it naturally happened once Loh realised he needed to become a citizen to represent Singapore at international Games. "They have been taking care of me very well," Loh added of his adopted country. That entire path has culminated in a world championship gold. Changing the Singapore sporting landscape While badminton is popular as a recreational activity, Loh is well aware that English Premier League (EPL) football and the National Basketball Association (NBA) remain more popular as spectator sports, or on television, for most Singaporeans. "I hope that I can bring Singapore sports [to the fore]," he said. "Getting more people to be involved with sports, be it watching like people watch soccer, the EPL (Premier League). Hopefully one day badminton is going to be a sport like that, and hopefully Singapore will focus more on sports as well. "I hope more people pick up the sports and enjoy it, or even become professional players and compete at a high level. I want to inspire younger generations." Aside from being a role model, Loh also wants to stamp his mark in the history books – repeatedly. He has already taken the first step, but wants more. "In Singapore, we used to have Ronald [Susilo] and Derek [Wong] in singles, and I want to surpass them. I want to create history that's even better than what they did. "I love it when I see "Singaporean Loh creates history" [in headlines]. I always want to recreate history, even."
So who is doing the real coaching? Viktor or Kelvin? I notice, kelvin was talking a lot while he was playing. Ginting is not 100% yet...Am sure VA gave him points on how to beat ginting. so.lky shd take advantage. I doubt he can win the sg open in the future because the prize money just went up. So more players will be keen to win it this time. Lky really need to ask the following questions. 1. Whats my strength? Why am i not using it? 2. Whats my weaknesses? How to prevent opponents on capitalizing it? 3. What is wrong with me coach? Can you really tell after so many failures since wc? Really no problem coach? You sure?? Is it I always looks like Mr nice guy? Its becoming a joke. If there is no problem, then why not winning? Downgrade perhaps? Similar problem to aaron/soh? Aaron doesnt even have smashing power. Opponenet will push him to smash till his hand breaks. They have to sit down an thrash it out. Time is running out. As of today July 2022, he is the worst performing World Champion.
It's maddening to see lky lose 'cos technically he's right up there with the best......he doesn't yet have the tunnel vision that Marin/axelsonn has during games.....stop being a nice guy, he needs to stay engaged during play..... maybe he should turn independent where prize money matters, just like to victor ...times running out. WC win beginning to feel like a fluke.
LKY himself also can't believe he won the WC. He played exceptionally well that week, not being in the spotlight and hence his game was not studied by other coaches (he was not even a dark horse, especially when draw to face VA in the first round). Now things are different, and certainly he will have to expand his game play and further improve his technic. He can turn independent if he can secure sponsor and find a team/place to train him, and confident he will improve further than being with SBA.
